In collaboration with 

Title: Increasing Specialty Care Referral for Patients with Uncontrolled Asthma Presenting to the Emergency Department Through an Educational Intervention – UCMC

Release | Expiration: TBD

Statement of Need:
Severe and uncontrolled asthma remains a significant challenge in the emergency department (ED), requiring precise assessment, evidence-based management, and coordinated care pathways to improve patient outcomes. This educational activity, developed specifically for ED clinicians at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, provides a comprehensive review of current guidelines for classifying asthma severity, minimizing the risks associated with oral corticosteroids (OCS), and establishing effective referral processes to asthma specialists.

Through a structured, case-based approach tailored to the realities of ED practice, this program addresses critical gaps in care and offers practical strategies to optimize the management of asthma exacerbations. By advancing the integration of guideline-based practices, this initiative supports ED clinicians in improving outcomes for patients with severe and uncontrolled asthma. 

Educational Objectives:

• Identify the diagnostic criteria for severe asthma and uncontrolled asthma and how this relates to treatment planning for patients with asthma in the emergency department (ED)
• Assess adverse effects associated with oral corticosteroid (OCS) use in patients with asthma and adhere to evidence-based practice guidelines to prevent OCS overuse in patients with severe asthma and uncontrolled asthma
• Develop a guidelines-aligned process that can be incorporated into the electronic health record (HER) to refer patients with severe and uncontrolled asthma to appropriate specialists

Target Audience:

This educational activity is designed for emergency medicine clinicians, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, who are actively involved in the acute management of asthma patients at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Faculty

Medical Writers:

Michelle McCain, MD
Morgan Leafe, MD

Disclosures:

Josh Bernstein, MD
Disclosures: none

Jonathan Bernstein, MD
Disclosures: Disclosures: Amgen (Royalty); Astra Zeneca (Consultant); Astra Zeneca (Consultant); Genentech (Consultant); Genentech (Consultant); GSK - promotional speaking concluded 3/2022 (Consultant); TEVA (Consultant)

Anita Goel, MD
Disclosures: none

Veronica Indihar, MD
Disclosures: none

Joseph Moellman, MD
Disclosures: none

Steven Haimowitz, MD
Disclosures: none

Michelle McCain, MD
Disclosures: none

Morgan Leafe, MD
Disclosures: none

Ranju Sarkar, MD
Disclosures: none

Accredited Provider Disclosure:
None of the planners, reviewers, and AAAAI / Gather-ed staff for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose. 

Disclosure of Financial Relationships Policy:
AAAAI adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME/CE activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others are required to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity. 

Accredited Provider & Accreditation Statements: 

This activity is accredited through AAAAI.

CME: The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
 
CE: The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) is a Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #10704.

Credit Designation Statement:
The AAAAI designates this activity for up to 4.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use:
This activity may or may not discuss investigational, unapproved, or off-label use of drugs. Participants are advised to consult prescribing information for any products discussed. The information provided in this activity is for continuing education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical judgment of a clinician relative to diagnostic and treatment options for a specific patient's medical condition. 
 
Disclaimer:
The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of AAAAI, RealCME, or Gather-ed. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings. 

If you have any questions relating to the accreditation of this activity, please contact cme@aaaai.org 
 
Method of Participation/Instructions:
Please proceed with the activity until you have successfully completed this program, answered all test questions, completed the post-assessment and evaluation, and have received a digital copy of your credit certificate. 

To claim the maximum amount of credit available, you must complete all of the following:

• Baseline/Final Assessments: 30 minutes each for a total of 1.0 hour of CME
• Three Self-Study Modules (3): 15 minutes each for a total of 0.75 hour of CME
• Two Live Group Discussions (2): 30 minutes each for a total of 1.00 hours of CME
• Two Group Challenges (3): 30 minutes each for a total of 1.00 hours of CME
• Action Plan Development: 30 minutes for a total of 0.5 hour of CME 

AAAAI Privacy Policy:

To verify your participation in educational activities, you may be asked to provide your name, contact information, and/or other descriptors. The AAAAI will not release this information to outside entities. It may be used internally to inform you of other AAAAI educational activities. If you wish to have your information excluded from this process, please contact us at cme@aaaai.org.

Commercial Supporters: This educational activity is supported by an independent educational grant from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.